Living History and “Highlights in History” Featured for Memorial Day Weekend at Fort Scott National Historic Site
Fort Scott, Kansas: For the Memorial Day holiday this year, you and your family are invited to visit Fort Scott National Historic Site to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a frontier military fort. Celebrate the weekend with living history programs, cooking demonstrations, and artillery firings.
On Saturday, volunteers and staff will present 1840s living history stations throughout the day at the Fort. Programs will focus on cooking, buying merchandise, and treating illnesses of the military garrison. Park Guides Dottie Messer and Paul Goodman will demonstrate what soldiers and people ate in the 19th century. Barry Linduff will do a presentation on the many goods available for soldiers and civilians in the Sutler store. Volunteers will present living history stations throughout the day throughout the Fort. At 2:00 p.m., come witness the power and sound of artillery. Kids of all ages are invited to join our soldiers in taking down the flag during flag retreat at 4:00 p.m.
Activities will continue on Sunday and Monday with more artillery demonstrations and programs focused on various historical events in which Fort Scott was involved. 1858: Bleeding Kansas Comes to “Fort Scott” will focus on the turbulent times Fort Scott citizens faced during the Bleeding Kansas era. In “Saws, Leaches, and Mercury”, the important role of Civil War medicine in the lives of soldiers will be highlighted.
On Monday at 2:45 p.m. will be a special Memorial Day program honoring Fort Scott’s fallen officers, followed by observance of the National Moment of Silence at 3:00 p.m. Throughout the day enjoy riveting period music of the 19th Century performed by the musical group “The Gum Springs Serenaders”.
The schedule of activities is listed below:
SATURDAY, MAY 26
10:00 a.m. – Cast Iron Skillets and Dutch Ovens: Cooking Demonstration and Talk
11:00 a.m. – Guided Tour
1:00 p.m. – “Crime and Punishment”- Guard Duty Talk
2:00 p.m. – “The Gun That Shoots Twice” – Artillery Demonstration
3:00 p.m. – “Plug, Port, and Peaches” – Post Sutler Talk
4:00 p.m. – Flag Retreat
SUNDAY, MAY 27
11:00 a.m. – Guided Tour
1:00 p.m. – “1858: Bleeding Kansas Comes to Fort Scott” – Guided Tour
2:00 p.m. – “The Gun That Shoots Twice” – Artillery Demonstration
3:00 p.m. – “Saws, Leeches, and Mercury” – 19th Century Medical Demonstration
MONDAY, MAY 28
11:00 a.m. – Guided Tour
1:00 p.m. – “The Gum Springs Serenaders” – Musical Program
2:30 p.m. – “The Gun That Shoots Twice” – Artillery Demonstration
2:45 p.m. – Honoring Fort Scott’s Fallen Officers
3:00 p.m. – National Moment of Remembrance
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
